Spade or shovel



1. A. souTHwELLl SPADE 0R SHOVEL.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24| I9I9.

1,352,921, Pawnteasepnm, 19.20.v

g NTE JOHN'A. soUTHwnLn' or scnnNroN, rENNsYLvANIA.-

' srAnE oR-sHov-EL.

Bef it known that I, JOHN Scranton, in thel county of Lackawanna .and

State of Pennsylvania, .haveV linvented Y new and useful Improvements :in Spades or Shovels, of which the'following is specifi--" connecting the shank of the .implement to the blade portionthereof.'

A further object of the invention is to provide a spade having its shank and step portionsso constructed and arranged as to overcome the possibilityoi` the steppor' tions becoming loose or accidentally re.- moved from the blade'or shank.'V`v v A further object 'is to Vprovideimproved means for connecting; the shank portion' n with the blade, vfurther characterized by or shovel'ingimplement constructedin acmeans whereby the blade is reinforced and strengthened at that part which bears lthe greatest strain during the digging or shoveling operation. e l

l/Vith these objects in view, togetherV with otherswhich will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides inthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all as willbe described more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawing' and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is 'a front elevation'of a spade I cordance with the invention,.

i taken'through the spade,

Fig. 4: is a similar view with theshankl` Fig. 2' is a rear elevation of the improved spade, f

Fig. 3 1s a longitudinal lsectional view in the position itwillassume before'being applied to the blade, Fig. 5 is a frontv elevation of the blade forming a partof the invention,

Fig.`6 is atopedge view of the blade., i

Fig; 7 yis a transverse sectional view taken through the spade and showing the manner in which the blade gripping portions engage vupon the front and rear faces of the blade, and

` g :SpecificationofLetters Patent.:

A. SouirnwnLL, a citizen of the United States, Vresiding at Fig. 8 is a transverse sectionalview taken i vthrough the' shank, and illustrating the reinforcing web ytherein.

atenten sept. Via; le20; Application led April 24, 1919. SerialiNot 292.418.'v A. Y V

-'- YReferring now more particularlyto the i drawing, 9 indic'ates generally the shank constitutlngtheimeans for connecting the blade tothe handle, and this shank, which' i 1s ofvtube formation, receives the ordinary wooden handle atits upper end. The shank may be of cast metal, andto reinforce-or ,strengthen the 'same at the curved portionv thereof,to..whic h the greatest strain and pressure are subjected, la web 10 is formed upon the interior of the shankand extends lengthwise there/of throughout the extent of the curved portion. V i

The lower extremity of the shank `:is provided with blade engaging or. gripping portions 11 and 12,' These portions engage upon the front and rear faces Aof the Vb lade and firmly, tion uponthe shankjl old the latterin proper Aposi-y The steel blade 'of the spade is indicated`- i generally at 13, and is provided at its upper edge andlnear the outer edges thereof with lugs ortongues le. The bladev Lat its upper end and intermediate its lateral edges'is deformed as indicated at 15, in the drawing,

the deformed portion being of substantially triangular Vor V-shape. This deformed portion is provided with-,acentral relatively '85 videdwith smaller openings 17, the'said openings. receiving studs on lugs 18 and 19 Vformed integral with therear grippingportion 12 of the shank. The stud 18 extendlarge opening 16' and near its cornersisproingfforwardly fromk the fsaid rear 'gripping portion passes.` through the central opening 16 in the blade and also through an opening in thefront blade engagingportion 11'of theshank, and the forward end of this 'study after passing through these thicknesses may be ironed down vor upset solas' to prevent the blade gripping member. The studs` 19. project through the openings 17 `in the blade and are similarly upset'or headed at their forward ends to prevent the bladebecomsame'becoming disengaged from the front ing detached from the engaging or gripping portion. As shown in the transverse sectional view, the under face of the forward blade engaging portion 11 is shaped'so as to conform to snugly upon such portion. This front blade Y engaging portion 11 is therefore arranged at an oblique angle tothe plane of the blade j y .Y come Vworn off-Land offer.' .obstruction l to the and provided upon its under faceiwith a groove of substantially V-shape, and into which the apeX of the V-shape deformed' It will be observed" that the rear bladegengaging portion 12 is@ portion 15 engages.

of triangular form or V-shaped ,and provided with a rearwardly deected'longitudinally extending offset 12. This member 12 is of such size as to fit within and have its body portion conform to the concaved rear Y v preferred embodiment of the invention, it

face ofthe offset or deformed portion 15 of the blade, whereby ythe bladev is doubly reinforced Vat its pointV of attachment` to the shank and the portion 12 also stayed against possibility of shifting and straining the fastening rivets. Furthermore', it will be observed that vthe central longitudinal offset 12 of part 12 is arranged inthe plane of the blade, but is spaced from and arranged at an oblique langle to the portion V15, the said parts relatively converging in a downward direction` and forming av triangular bracing reinforcing the blade longitudinally and in a direction from frontto rear of the blade. Y

The shank is provided with' laterally disposed stepportions 20, the latter being casi` or formed integral with the shank, and these steps are provided near theirvouter ends with members are headed or ironed down so as to l, prevent the said lugs becoming detached openings to receive the upstanding lugs or tongues 14 on the blade. The step portions are of such width as to cover entirely the upper edge of theblade, so that it will be impossible forrthe foot of the operator Ato contact'the relatively sharp upper edge of the blade. The lugs or tongues 14; which protrude through the openings in the step from the step portions, and these heads may be sufficiently smooth as not to form an ob- .y struction for the foot of the operator.

Before applying" the blade to the shank portion, the forward or front blade engaging portion 11 is moved forwardly to-the position shown in the detail view. After the blade has been inserted between these gripping portions and the .lugs 14 thereof are engaged in the openings in the step members, the blade engaging portion11 is pressed rearwardly untilfi-t is in firm contact with the deformedportion 15 of. the

blade. Y `When in such position, the stud 18 will protrude through the said blade en` gagingfportion 11,A and the forward end of this stud may vthenbe upset or headed. The forward ends of the studs 19 will then also ybe headed, as will be the upper ends of lugs edge fitting firmly beneath the step portions 20. VIt will be noted that the stud members are headed onlyupon their forward ends, 1

so that -Vthe rear surfaceV of the shovel or spade will have no heads or rivetsV tov bediggingoperati'on. By connecting the'blade withthe shank memberin the manner specified, great strength and rigidity are assured, and the.- particular formation of .the blade engaging portions andthe blade at its point is obvious that various,V changes intheldetailsjof constructionv maybe resorted to vention as `defined by the claims. y Having thus fully described Amy invention, I claim t ithout departing from the spirit ofthe in- .1. In a spade' or shovel, a blade having a i central, substantially V-shaped forwardly odset deformedy portionat the' upper end thereof,a shank having front and rear blade engaging portions, said front blade engaging portion being arrangedto overlie the front surface of the deformed 'portion of the blade and the rear blade engaging porV` tion being substantially of triangular form and arranged to fit within the concavity vatV the rear side of said. concaved portion, said rear blade engaging portion 'beingV provided with a rearwardly projecting 4"longitudinally extending 'stiffening oset disposed in alinement with the rearV surface of the body of the blade, the said blade engaging portions of the shank being arranged' to extend` downwardly in convergent relation to each other, fastening means connecting the body portion of the rear blade-engaging portion of theshank with the deformed portion of the' blade, and fastening` means connecting they offset of said rear blade" engaging portion of the shank with vthe deformed portion of the'blade and thev said frontY blade engaging portion of the shank.

2. n a spade or shovel, a shank compris ing a tubularmember, step portions formed integral withV said member and projecting laterally` therefrom, blade engaging portions formed integral with said shank, and la web upon the interior of said tubular member for reinforcing thersame.

3. In a spade or shovel, a shank, a blade, a deformed portion at the upper end of said blade, blade engaging portions formedintegral with said vshank andv adapted ftoconfine the blade between them, the `said lportions conforming to the shape of 'thedeformed portion of the blade, and `studs car-i s ried by one of said portions andV extending through the blade.

4. In a spade or shovel, ashank, spaced `13( 'blade engaging portions formed integral with said shank, a blade, a deformed portion ofrsubstantially V-shape at the upper end of said bladeysad blade beingadapted 5 to 'be confined between the said engaging portions at its deformed portion, studs on vone of said portions to extend through the deformed portom step members forrned'nf tegral with seid shank and projecting laterally therefrom, and lugs .upon the jbladeto 10 'Y I extend through the said step members, v

ln testimony whereof I aHX -myfsignature vJOHN VVA, SoU'THWEL-L.y 

